


Motionless

by agentsofsomething



Series: A Different Path [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Feels, Good John Garrett, Grant Ward Deserved Better, Grant Ward isn’t Hydra, john is a good dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:41:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23834161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsofsomething/pseuds/agentsofsomething
Summary: Grant Ward’s life gets flipped upside down  when he finds out that his adoptive father has been hiding something from him.(can be read stand alone)(sucky description I’m sorry)
Relationships: John Garrett & Grant Ward
Series: A Different Path [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716013
Kudos: 23





	Motionless

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is part 3 of the series I’ve been writing during coronavirus shut down. I haven’t written too much in the last few years so go easy on me lol. I hope you enjoy it.

**2003– John Garrett’s House: Washington, D.C.**

To John Garrett, it had felt like yesterday he had picked up Grant Ward from juvie but it had in fact been 4 years. Since that point, Grant had graduated from high school and was starting college, they had gotten a dog, and Garrett even watched the kid come out of his shell and get his heart broken a few times. Well with the way that kid looked, Garrett was sure that he would be breaking a lot of hearts once he got a little older and some more game. 

Garrett had managed to keep S.H.I.E.L.D and Hydra a secret from Grant that whole time because the kid was happy, he didn’t need to rope him into that mess. Garrett had learned early on that Grant was academically inclined and the kid even graduated high school with his associates degree. Garrett also brought Grant into therapy with someone he had trusted from S.H.I.E.L.D because with the history of the Ward Family, Garrett had a feeling the kid needed help.

Garrett was pretty damn proud of the kid turning his life around. Grant was everything Garrett wanted if he was to have his own son one day but Garrett was getting old and settling down didn’t seem to be in his cards. Especially with all of his implants and upgrades that Hydra had given him to prolong his life. Some days were harder than others for Garrett, some days he would collapse the second he got out of bed and have to call Fury to reboot him up. 

But now was thanksgiving, it was a time to just sit back with family and relax and for Garrett that meant Grant coming home from college. The kid was living on campus and was having a seemingly good time which was all Garrett had wanted for the kid. He didn’t want to even think about what would’ve happened if Hydra had gotten to him before he did. They would’ve turned that poor kid into a weapon which was a shame because Grant wasn’t a fighter, he was a lover.

Garrett was cutting up potatoes when he heard the front door unlock and swing open. “John, I’m back!” Grant's deep voice from the foyer as Grant took his shoes off and put down his bag as Buddy cane trotted out to greet Grant. “Hi buddy.” Grant said getting down on the floor and playing with the dog and scratching the dog’s stomach. 

Garrett put down the knife and stood against a wall watching Grant play with the puppy. Getting Grant a dog was one of his better decisions as a parent. Most of what Garrett did as a parent wasn’t too bad except when he walked in on Grant with a girl and gave him a long uncomfortable talk after. 

“I guess the dog gets a hello before I do?” Garrett said in a teasing tone. Grant looked up seeming to be aware of Garrett’s presence for the first time. 

“Oh sorry,” Grant said with his cheeks blushing red but stood up causing Buddy to let out a wine of annoyance. “Buddy came in and ambushed me at the door, I guess he was more eager to see me than you were.” Grant teased right back at Garrett. 

“I was working on dinner because the damn dog doesn't help me with anything at all.” John said pushing off the wall and standing in front of Grant.

“John, he’s a dog, what do you want him to do besides play fetch, eat, and sleep?” Grant said with a smirk on his face. Garrett just shook his head and pulled Grant into a hug “Come here kid it’s been quiet without you.” Grant froze at the contact still hesitant with physical contact but eventually awkwardly patted Garrett on the back. 

Garrett pulled away before things got awkward. “Come on, I’m working on the mashed potatoes, they’re your favorite.” Garrett said, turning his back to walk into the kitchen but felt an instant pain in his chest and groaned.  _ ‘Not again.’  _

“John, are you okay?” Grant asked, looking weary at his father figure as he got down on a knee to pet Buddy again. “Yeah, I’m fine kiddo.” John said and went to take a step but collapsed onto the floor.

“John!” Came from Grant’s mouth as he dragged himself over to Garrett’s body. Grant put his finger on Garrett’s neck and felt a very weak pulse so he wasn’t dead. “I’m calling 911.” Grant said getting up to get the house phone.

“Don’t.” Garrett said weakly and coughing as Grant turned back around and rushed towards Garrett. “You just collapsed and you’re probably having a heart attack, you have to go to a hospital.” Grant said frantically. He couldn’t lose John, not now, not after everything John had done for him.

With shaky hands Garrett pulled out a flip phone from his pocket. “Speed dial 1, not heart attack.” Garrett said as Grant took the phone with his own shaky hands and followed Garrett’s instructions.

_ “John, I swear to god this better be an emergency, I am in a very important meeting with… what is it.”  _ A deep booming voice came from the phone.

“This isn’t John, I’m his…his son.” Grant said hesitantly before quickly adding. “He collapsed and I don’t know what to do, he said to call speed dial one.” Grant spoke trying and failing to keep the panic out of his voice.

_ “John has a son…”  _ the voice on the phone spoke into the phone in disbelief.  _ “Okay what you’re going to do is go to John’s bedroom.”  _ The voice started and in a second Grant was running.  _ “You have to go under the bed, there should be a trunk.”  _ The man spoke and Grant opened a trunk to see so many weapons and boxes he was in disbelief.  _ Who the hell was john.  _

“I opened the trunk, what am I looking for?” Grant asked, pressing the phone in between his shoulder and ear.  _ “There should be a black briefcase, grab it.”  _ The voice commanded and Grant grabbed it and ran back to John. Grant opened the briefcase to find a lot of electronic wires and stuff he had no idea what it was.

_ “You still here kid?”  _ The voice asked as Grant toggled a few buttons to put the phone on speaker. “It’s Grant. What do I do now?” Grant asked, looking at the open briefcase with confusion. 

_ “There’s a pair of scissors, cut open his shirt and you’re going to plug the blue wire into the port.” _ The voice said as Grant cut open Garrett’s shirt to find he was all metal. “What the fuck.” Grant said connecting the blue wire to John.  _ “I’ll answer the questions later. But right now I need you to connect that blue wire into the device and press the red button. Just make sure you’re not touching John when you hit the button.”  _ The man said as Grant followed the instructions.

The machine sent out a zap toward Garrett’s body who shook as a result of the zap and his body shot up into a sitting up position. “Kid?” John asked, looking at Grant who looked mortified holding the phone in his hands. Grant dropped the phone down next to Garrett before running up to his room as fast as his legs carried him. Garrett sighed as he heard the door slam shut.

“Thanks, Nick.” Garrett said, taking his phone off of the speaker and removing the wire out from his side. 

“Since when do you have a kid? You have to have somebody to have a kid and last time I checked you were still trying to impress Hand.” Fury’s curiosity seeped into his tone.

“I pulled him out of juvie 5 years ago before Hydra had that chance to. Now I’m going to have to explain all of this to him before he goes around telling somebody about this.” Garrett said, cleaning up his kit before standing up.

“Five years… Garrett, you’re sick and you adopted a kid. What if you died on a mission or something. You and I would be having words if I didn’t have to get back to a briefing with Pierce.” Fury grumbled into his phone.

“Remember, don’t overshare.” Garrett said and hung up the phone. He threw the kit back underneath his bed in the chest before gathering up the courage to knock on Grant’s door.

“Son, can I come in? I think we need to talk.” Garrett said but didn’t get a response so he opened the door and walked in. Grant was sitting on his bed with his knees to his chest and his back against the wall. He just looked  _ broken.  _ It wasn’t the first time Garrett had seen him like that and he was sure it wouldn’t be like the last but it didn’t hurt any less to see the kid like that. 

“I know I have a lot to explain but just let me explain.” Garrett said sitting down next to Grant. Grant didn’t move or even acknowledge the presence next to him. “Have you ever heard of S.H.I.E.L.D? No you wouldn’t have grown up in a political family… So we're basically like the FBI I guess but nobody knows we exist. I started off in the military but I got scouted by Nick, that’s who you were actually on the phone with, about hanging up by uniform and joining S.H.I.E.L.D. I was young and curious so I decided to go for it. Do you know what Hydra is? Captain America and Hydra?” Garrett explained as well as questions and looked over to see Grant was resting his head on his knees and his head was titled to look at Garrett. 

“Yes I know what Hydra is, I have listened to your stories. When are we going to get to the part about you being the Terminator?” Grant asked bitterly. It wasn’t a genuine question but he didn’t know what he just saw.

“About 13 years ago, I was sent on a mission, I was younger, cockier and way in over my head. I got wounded badly, I was destined to die, my guts were hanging out and S.H.I.E.L.D couldn’t send in guys to pick me up. But I found myself waking up in a facility with all this metal shit and a man explaining to me that I either pledge my allegiance to Hydra or they kill me. I was so much younger, I wasn’t ready to give up my life before it began so I said yes. It probably would’ve been easier to just die instead of living a life that’s a lie.” Garrett confessed putting a hand on Grant’s shoulder, such a small gesture but one that spoke volumes.

“So after Hydra fixed me up, I ran back to my boss at S.H.I.E.L.D. That’s Nick who you were just on the phone with, he’s the director now. I told Nick basically what had happened and they have me working as a triple agent for them. But I never wanted you to be involved in this shit, Grant. I wanted to get you out of juvie before Hydra could weaponize you too because you don’t deserve that life. However, this cure that Hydra gave me is temporary and S.H.I.E.L.D isn’t anyway near this tech. So every so often I either collapse or pass out and basically give myself a reboot.” Garrett admitted as he felt Grant lean into him a little.

“Why didn’t you tell me this? I would’ve done something to help… I could be a triple agent like you. You said when we met my hand-eye coordination was off the chart.” Grant practically mumbled but after living with him for so long, Garrett could understand him.

“Kid, this is my fight and my battle. It’s not yours. You’re going to college, you’re going to be an English Professor one day and I could not be more proud of you if I tried.” Garrett said as Grant choked back a sob in his throat.

“You literally saved my life. You took me in, gave me a house, a dog, a life. You’ve done more for me than anyone else in my biological family ever has. John, you’re my Dad and I can’t lose you.” Grant said with tears starting to steam down his cheeks. 

John silently wrapped his arm around Grant and pulled the kid into his side, they didn’t do heartfelt conversations normally. This was probably their first real heartfelt conversation. “Kid, I’m not going anywhere for a very long time. You can’t get rid of me if you tried.” Garrett tried to lighten the heavy mood around them.

“I want to join S.H.I.E.L.D. I want to be a triple like you, John. I want to learn how to protect you and how to find a cure for you because you gave me literally everything.” Grant said not making eye contact with Garrett.

“Like hell am I letting you go into this mess. Yes I might have gotten you out of juvie but I have never asked for anything in return and I never will because that’s not right. Just because you got dealt shitty cards, it doesn’t mean you have to deal with it the rest of your life.” Garrett said, keeping his arm tight around his kid.

“I can do this with it without you, John. You told me how good my skills were in military school that if I joined the military, I would be scouted by someone somewhere. So, help me become an agent or whatever it is, I want to be involved. I want to help people and make a difference.” Grant said almost sadly. He had never be able to protect Thomas and Rose which was something that haunted him on the daily but maybe if he helps John and other people, it could help that pain.

“I’ll make a deal with you. You graduate college with your bachelors and after if you still want to go into S.H.I.E.L.D, I’ll let you apply to the Academy and maybe pull some strings with Nick. But you have to graduate and want this, Grant.” Garrett said as Grant nodded frantically. 

“Okay, it’s a deal.” Grant said leaning his head into John’s shoulder. “What if we just order Chinese tonight? No cooking.” Garrett suggested.

“That sounds good. Thanks… Dad.” Grant said hesitantly as Garrett only smiled to himself. “It’s never a problem kid.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know how you liked it, any plot holes or questions, I’m sorry for any grammar or simple errors, I’m writing this at midnight lol.


End file.
